BY NORMAND LANTHIER
Saturday proved itself a great day for pond hockey on
Lake Wanapitei, with the sun shining, light winds, and a record
breaking 22 teams coming out to vie for top honours in the
Third Annual Edith Casaletto Memorial Pond Hockey Tournament.
"We're thrilled to see so many people come out to support
such a great cause." said 2008 Tournament Coordinator Normand
Lanthier (position funded by Employment Ontario). "We have more
teams here this year than in both previous years
combined. I think that really says something, not only
about the increasing popularity of our event, but of this
variation of our nation's game, as well."
True to its name, pond hockey is played outdoors, the way that
hockey was first played over a hundred years ago. A
simplified version of the sport, there are no offside or icing
calls, and to make it as accessible and practical as possible,
there are no goalies. Nets are instead replaced by dwarf
10-inch nets into which players need only shoot the puck to
score a goal.
"It makes for some high-scoring games, but goalies can be tough to recruit at this level of play, so I believe that that key difference is largely responsible for this game's rapid explosion in popularity all over Eastern Canada in the past few years." says Lanthier.
Established by friends, family, and co-workers shortly after Mrs. Casaletto's tragic passing due to cancer in 1998, her memorial fund serves the Sudbury office of Ontario March of Dimes in their mission to help people with disabilities of the region find or maintain meaningful employment. It was set-up specifically to assist with individual needs through the purchase of articles that were not covered by any other source of funding.
"The Sudbury office helps over 450 people a year. That's a costly endeavour, so I'm glad to see so much support from the community here, today. Our goal was to raise $10 000 in net proceeds, and by the end of the day, it's going to be close." said Lanthier enthusiastically.
Although the true winners today were those who benefit from the services of Ontario March of Dimes, the tournament's top performing teams were determined by the end of the day, just as the sun began to set.
Taking top honours in the Skate category (of 16 teams) was a returning team Captained again by Kevin Brosseau, playing for a new sponsor this year: Berkshire Securities. In second place was a first-time entry: Team Vale INCO, Captained by Justin Pilon. The Boot category (6 teams) saw Rene Paquet and Friends claim the top prize, with Team Whitefish Lake, Captained by Daniel Naponse, coming-in a close second.
Thirty percent of all registration fees collected were divided among these teams as cash prizes for their efforts, with first place in each category bringing home $800 and $300 respectively. Thanks to the generosity of over 60 local businesses, every participant and volunteer left with a participation gift, 126 of them in all.
"Overall, the response from local businesses has been very positive this year," commented Lanthier. "From key event sponsorships by groups like the Rainbow Centre, Grand & Toy, and nearby Lions Clubs, to prizes for all players, so many of them helped us out in whatever way they could best do so, and our entire organizing committee is very grateful. I'd also like to thank the many volunteers who came out to help make this event possible. Without them, we never would have been able to manage 45 games between 22 different teams," he added.
Anyone interested in entering a team in next year's tournament, tentatively scheduled for February 28th, 2008, can contact Linda Jones, Ontario March of Dimes Office Administrator, at 674-3377, ext. 36. Registration is expected to reach its maximum again next year, so interested parties are encouraged to register early. It will once again take place at Rocky's, which is currently planning an expansion due to the popularity of their many annual events.
